The first warm spring day of 2019. I mean, truly warm. Plenty of birds about—including a first-of-year House Wren in “my” birch tree. Flycatchers, another Swainson’s Thrush.
Looks like the hill will have no Savannah Sparrows, though, for the first year I can remember.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:30 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Ovenbird** (v) 2. American Redstart** 3. Black-and-white Warbler 4. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 5. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 6. Red-eyed Vireo** 7. American Goldfinch** 8. Gray Catbird* 9. Swainson’s Thrush 10. Hairy Woodpecker 11. Northern Parula** 12. Least Flycatcher** 13. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 14. Eastern Towhee 15. Common Yellowthroat *(v) 16. Yellow Warbler** 17. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 18. Wood Thrush* 19. Alder Flycatcher 20. Blue Jay* 21. Tree Swallow* 22. Broad-winged Hawk* 23. Purple Finch (v) 24. Eastern Phoebe** 25. Field Sparrow 26. American Crow* 27. Eastern Kingbird 28. Mourning Dove* 29. House Wren 30. Ruffed Grouse (drumming) 31. Song Sparrow** 32. Tufted Titmouse** (v) 33. Hermit Thrush (v) 34. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 35. Northern Flicker (v) 36. Black-throated Blue Warbler (v)
Elsewhere
37. House Finch (v) 38. Wild Turkey 39. Herring Gull 40. Double-crested Cormorant 41. American Robin 42. European Starling 43. Chipping Sparrow (v) 44. Brown-headed Cowbird 45. Common Grackle
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Slept in a little on account of some overnight rain. Didn’t get to the hill until 8—no precipitation by then except for the droplets from the dewy new leaves of the hardwoods. Plenty of birds still, but mostly faraway voices and little flitting warblers in the canopy.
A highlight was a first-of-year Bay-breasted Warbler (and only the second I’ve ever seen up there). Also, the kingbird was still around. Or maybe it was a new one.
No great photos because of the dark early overcast, but Jack and I loved it anyway.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8 a.m., I hike the open trail.
This morning was cloudy and blue, with a breeze—but not a cold one. Also plenty of black flies. Which of course meant warblers. Lots of warblers. Also vireos, thrushes, woodpeckers, etc.
This is that time of year when you never know what you might encounter. Today I spied two species I don’t see often—maybe once every three years or so. Eastern Kingbird and Swainson’s Thrush. The thing I love about such birds is that I know then when I see them, despite there being a bunch of days between sightings.
Other species like that are yesterday’s first-of-year (Blackburnian Warbler) and the Swamp Sparrow I saw some weeks ago.
Tomorrow will bring rain—but also perhaps surprises.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hike the open trail.
